Category: Politics

  • Inside the government meeting with Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman

    Inside the government meeting with Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman

    A high-profile meeting took place yesterday at the President’s House in Islamabad between the government and Chief Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam Fazl (JUI-F) Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman, in which the proposed constitutional amendments were the focus.

    After the All Parties Conference (APC) held at the President’s house to show solidarity with Palestine, In a meeting with government officials, Chief JUI-F reportedly said that since the central leadership of his party was not present in the meeting, except for him and Senator Abdul Ghafoor Haidri, no decisions could be made.

    Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman claimed that his party had prepared an 80 per cent draft of the constitutional amendments and would soon hand it over to the government’s negotiated team.

    It was stressed that a draft with common proposed constitutional amendments would be preferred.

    The Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People Party (PPP) negotiated team would again engage with the JUI-F team in the upcoming week.

    President Asif Ali Zardari and former Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif assured their support to Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman and praised his efforts in promoting democracy.

  • Aleema Khan reveals details of how she was arrested

    Aleema Khan reveals details of how she was arrested

    Aleema Khan, the sister of the founder Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan, has revealed details of how, along with her sister Uzma Khan, was arrested during the Islamabad protest.

    Sardar Qadeer Advocate posted a video on X (formerly Twitter) in which Aleema Khan said that federal capital police arrested her following an interview she gave to a journalist, stressing, “We were not committing any violation at that time.”

    She said, “Section 144 was imposed, not a curfew; I could have been arrested only if the curfew was imposed.”

    Aleema Khan revealed that many elderly women around 60 to 80 years of age were detained by federal police in the same cell as her, and the police didn’t provide them medicine for two days.

    Imran Khan’s sister said that they were deceived when the police shifted them to the I-H police line instead of presenting them before the court, and added, “We were apprehended, not even served food or medicines for multiple hours on the last day. The next morning, we did not have cash; police collected money to buy food and then served us breakfast.”

    She demanded that authorities provide proof of the section 144 violation allegedly committed by the elderly detained women: “If it were proven, they would embrace even ten-year imprisonment.”

  • Imran Khan approaches United Nations expert over 26th constitutional amendments

    Imran Khan approaches United Nations expert over 26th constitutional amendments

    Founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan has approached the United Nations (UN) Special Representative on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers against the incumbent government’s proposed constitutional amendments.

    According to the United Kingdom (UK) website, which offers legal assistance, former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has filed an urgent appeal to the UN Special Rapporteur through Edward Fitzgerald KC, Tatyana Eatwell and Jennifer Robinson.

    Imran’s family advised Eatwell and Robinson to conduct UN engagement and international advocacy on his behalf.

    The appeal voiced concerns that the incumbent government’s proposed twenty-sixth constitutional amendments would curb the independence of the judiciary, and the rule of law added that constitutional amendments would pose a serious threat to the fundamental rights of Imran Khan and his followers in Pakistan.

    International counsel for Imran Khan and his family, Edward Fitzgerald KC, Tatyana Eatwell and Jennifer Robinson, stated, “The proposed amendments are clearly aimed at removing the jurisdiction and powers of the Supreme Court, at a time when the judiciary in Pakistan is already under threat. Judges have been threatened and coerced to deliver prescribed verdicts in controversial cases.”

  • KP govt dismisses allegations of deal with establishment after Gandapur’s ‘disappearance’

    KP govt dismisses allegations of deal with establishment after Gandapur’s ‘disappearance’

    Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minster’s Advisor Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif ruled out allegations of Ali Amin Gandapur making a deal with the military establishment.

    Talking on Geo News last night, he said, “It is false that CM Gandapur has made any deal [with institutions],” after Gandapur went missing for more than 24 hours after reaching KP House in Islamabad for a PTI protest.

    Gandapur made a sudden entry into the KP Assembly House on Sunday night after PTI alleged that he had been abducted.

    Ali Amin, in his signature fiery style, narrated a mysterious tale of how he survived and reached the parliament by himself.

    “Police raided the KP House multiple times […] Listen IG [Inspector-General of Police]. I was there the whole night,” Gandapur revealed that he had never left the KP House while managing to hide in the building.

    PTI supporters on social media have strongly criticised the party leadership, especially Ali Amin Gandapur, for allegedly abandoning the protestors on October 5 in Islamabad.

    Furthermore, Defence MInsiter Khawaja Asif called CM KP a “swindler”, referring to his “absence” last week.

  • Supreme Court seeks record of housing scheme linked to Gen Faiz Hameed

    Supreme Court seeks record of housing scheme linked to Gen Faiz Hameed

    The Supreme Court of Pakistan has instructed Capital Development Authority (CDA) to provide a complete record of the illegal ‘Northridge Housing Society’ in the C-12 sector of Islamabad.

    The society, which infringes on the Margalla Hills National Park, is allegedly linked to former spymaster Lieutenant General (retd) Faiz Hameed, Dawn News reported.

    During the hearing of the contempt of court petition for violating the Supreme Court June 11 order, Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) counsel Barrister Umer Ijaz Gillani told the court, “As per my client’s instructions, the owner of the society has a very close relationship with Lt Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed.”

    The apex court’s June 11 verdict ordered the relocation of the restaurants from the National Park in Islamabad, including Monal, within three months.

    Barrister Gillani cleared that he couldn’t prove the ownership as he didn’t have any documents.

    A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa ordered the CDA and Chief Commissioner to prepare the complete ownership record of the housing society.

  • Treading on Thin Ice: Russia Warns USA on Ukraine Tensions

    Treading on Thin Ice: Russia Warns USA on Ukraine Tensions

    Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov warned the USA that they could suffer fatal consequences. He said the United States will face issues if they give the green light to Ukraine to act on Moscow’s stated aim of destroying Russia with weapons supplied by the United States. Sergei Ryabkov was talking about Joe Biden’s approval of the use of US-supplied weapons to target Russian sites involved in attacks on the Kharkiv region of Ukraine. Russia warns USA on a serious note about Ukraine tensions.

    “I would like to warn American leaders against miscalculations that could have fatal consequences. For unknown reasons, they underestimate the seriousness of the rebuff they may receive,” Ryabkov said, as state news agency RIA quoted.

    He mentions comments from President Vladimir Putin from last week. The President was concerned that the NATO countries were turning the situation into a global war. This has been one of the repeated warnings from the Moscow side about how relations can turn ugly. Let’s discuss Russia warns USA in more detail!

    Ukraine and Russia Conflict

    Ukraine launched an attack on Russia’s western Kursk region on August 6 and gained a piece of land. It is the most critical act of a forcible invasion of Russia since the Second World War. The Russian President said the attack would be met with some response from Russia.

    Russia warns USA

    Do US drones support Ukraine’s strike on Russia?

    Forces and the war-supporting economy of southern and western Russia are under attack from Ukraine’s innovative drones. In a meeting at the White House on September 26, the Ukrainian president put forward his requests for further assistance in carrying out the long-range strikes. Such requests received little help. President Jill Biden declared that the United States will provide the unguided, over 60-mile-range Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) from the air to the ground.

    However, Ukraine wanted more. It has also often requested permission to use the U.S.-made Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) to implement long-range bombs in the depths of Russia. They can cover a distance of 190 miles with their rate of movement. The bombs are best suited for hitting fast-moving targets. Before Sullivan’s departure, there were signals that the United States could also hand JASSM to Ukraine. While such missiles are less available than ATACMS missiles, they are abundant in the American arsenal and have increased efficiency as the stealth features make it difficult to defend against attacking forces.

    Russia Response

    According to Russia, Ukraine has used British tanks and US rocket systems, specifically in the region of Kursk. Kyiv said it had utilized US-made HIMARS missiles to destroy bridges located in Kursk.

    Russian Foreign Intelligence Chief Sergei Naryshkin stated on Tuesday that Moscow did not accept the West’s justifications for not participating in any of the incursions in Kursk. The United States does not deny that it took part in these events.

    Following the Ukrainian attack, the United States, Great Britain, and New York assisted in Ukraine through satellite imagery and information about the Kursk region. The Times said that the intelligence was intended to assist Ukraine in maintaining effective control over the movement of Russian troop reinforcements.

  • PTI turns against poet Ahmad Farhad for calling leadership ‘cowards’

    PTI turns against poet Ahmad Farhad for calling leadership ‘cowards’

    Poet Ahmad Farhad faced backlash from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders and supporters after he criticised party heads for their absence during the Islamabad protests.

    Farhad has previously been vocal in favour of PTI and has written poetry for the party.

    Vehemently criticisingly PTI leadership on Sunday in an interview with journalist Ikram Raja, Farhad said, “PTI leadership are cowards, compromised. Not a single leader is present at D Chowk.”

    He said that protestors reached Islamabad D Chowk despite facing rubber bullets, baton charges, and tear gas shells, but PTI leadership disappointed them, adding, “lanat hu lanat hu lanat hu PTI leadership par.”

    Farhad’s statements led to PTI workers fiercely opposing him.

    He took to X (formerly Twitter) and wrote that PTI leadership remained out of sight during protests but advised their followers to approach D Chowk; he added that PTI was an establishment puppet during their reign and now they are missing democracy and claiming their protests are revolutions.

    During a Twitter space hosted by Salman Khan, Salman Ahmad misbehaved with poet Ahmad Farhad.

    Farhad questioned the Chief Minister (CM) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s (KP) sudden disappearance from the Islamabad protests; Salman furiously answered, “Farhad is a puppet of the establishment,” and asked the poet to leave the space.

    Ahmad Farhad replied, “Salman Ahmad, you are an illiterate man.”

    Farhad wrote on X (formerly Twitter) “In Twitter space, it was not Salman Ahmad, the singer of the Junoon band, who misbehaved me but someone else who was out of his mind; please correct.”

  • PTI supporters are furious at Ali Amin Gandapur

    PTI supporters are furious at Ali Amin Gandapur

    The Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ali Amin Gandapur, surprised everyone, including his party supporters, by making a sudden appearance on October 6 in the KP Assembly after he went incommunicado the previous day in Islamabad.

    PTI supporters on social media are enraged at party leaders, including Gandapur, for allegedly abandoning protestors on the streets.

    Gandapur was welcomed by a cheering crowd of MPAs and went on to narrate a mysterious tale.

    According to YouTuber Imran Riaz, Gandapur told him, “I hid in the KP House when the Rangers and Police attacked the building. A man (official) guided me to hide on the roof of a police vehicle, upon which I stayed for several hours.”

    Gandapur further told Riaz, “The man came again and told me to change location because another search operation would take place, so he instructed me to hide on another police vehicle’s roof, which was higher. It was nighttime by now.”

    “After the rain came to an end, I changed my clothes and started trekking through Trail 3 on Margalla Hills and reached Monal. I crossed over Margalla Hill, where the KP region begins, and stopped a car for a lift,” Gandapur told Riaz.

    According to Riaz, Ali Amin Gandapur travelled in a car from Haripur to Abbottabad, then towards Shangla to Swat Motorway and then crossing Mardan, he reached Kernel Sher Khan Interchange and went, despite all odds, to Peshawar.

    He then reached the KP Assembly, where he delivered his speech, but the majority of PTI supporters remained unconvinced and angry.

    One PTI supporter took to X, formerly Twitter, to write: “If all the TV channels are covering Ali Amin Ganapur’s speech right now, then it is evidence enough that He isn’t speaking for the general public but for the Generals instead!”

  • Sher Afzal Marwat cites health issues for absence in protests

    Sher Afzal Marwat cites health issues for absence in protests

    As Saturday’s protest by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) petered out to after Chief Minister (CM) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Ali Amin Gandapur went to KP House instead of D-Chowk in Islamabad, followers of the party turned their ire towards absent PTI leaders.

    PTI leadership including bigwigs Ali Muhammad Khan, former speaker of National Assembly Asad Qaiser, opposition leader Omer Ayub Khan and Sher Afzal Khan Marwat were all slammed by party supporters for not being present at the protest.

    Social media users trolled PTI leadership by asking, “Were they doing work from home?”

    Marwat replied to the criticism on X (formerly Twitter) by stating that he is seriously ill: “I am feeling pain and embarrassment to tell my loved ones that my health is not getting better.”

    “My liver test and other tests were not normal and my health is deteriorating day by day,” he wrote.

    He said that he is trying to stabilise his health so that he can go back to being the way he was, “the way you liked me.” But, he stressed again that he gets fever every day which goes away. “My health is deteriorating fast,” he stated.

    “Main apnay mulk kay liye, apnay murshad Imran Khan kay liye or Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) kay liye buhat kuch karna chahta hu.” he added.

    The only big name to be making his way towards the protest, CM KP Ali Amin Gandapur, also did not reach D-Chowk. A day after pulling a mysterious disappearance, he arrived at the provincial assembly yesterday, while many PTI supporters remained in Islamabad.

    Clarifying rumors about his whereabouts amid the federal capital and Ranger’s raid at the provincial house, Gandapur claimed that he was hiding in KP House, but police were unable to discover him.

  • Karachi attack leaves two Chinese nationals dead

    Karachi attack leaves two Chinese nationals dead

    Three people, including two Chinese nationals have died, while 11 people were injured in a massive explosion near Karachi International Airport last night.

    The Chinese embassy in Pakistan and Pakistan’s Foreign Office have confirmed the deaths, Dawn News has reported.

    The Chinese embassy in Pakistan stated, “Convoy carrying Chinese staff of the Port Qasim Electric Power Company (Private) Limited was attacked near the Jinnah International Airport.”

    It further said, “Making every effort to handle the aftermath together with the Pakistani side.”

    Rescue 1122 has stated that five vehicles were damaged by the blast, while seven other vehicles were destroyed.

    In an initial report, a police official disclosed that the explosion occurred in an oil tanker.

    The Khorasan Diary reported that the terrorist group Balochistan Liberation Army’s (BLA) Majeed Brigade, known to have deep ties with India, claimed the attack and published the picture of the suicide bomber named Shah Fahad alias Aftab.

    Yesterday, Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hasan Lanjar claimed the explosion was likely caused by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) strike.

    Condemning the incident, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said, “We express full solidarity with the families of the Chinese citizens in this moment of grief.”